Mordcai Lincoln (1771-1830)
}} Biography Mordecai Lincoln was the uncle of U.S. President Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865). He was the son of Captain Abraham Lincoln (1744-1786), brother of Thomas Lincoln (1778-1851) and Mary Lincoln Crume and husband of Mary Mudd (1775-1859). He is buried at the Old Catholic or Lincoln Cemetery near Fountain Green, Illinois. Mordecai's home in Springfield, Kentucky, is the only home built by a member of the Lincoln family that still stands in its original location. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In regards to Mordecai's wit and talents, on several occasions, President Lincoln referred to his uncle as his most important familial influence, and once remarked that "Uncle Mord had run off with all the talents of the family." Like Abraham Lincoln, his uncle's family was also subject to depression, called "the Lincoln horrors." Aside from sharing the tendency to melancholy, Mordecai and his sons also appeared to share a sense of humor as well as a physical resemblance with Abraham Lincoln. Early Life The family settled in Jefferson County, Kentucky, about twenty miles (32 km) east of the site of Louisville. The territory was still contested by Indians living across the Ohio River. For protection the settlers lived near frontier forts, called stations, to which they retreated when the alarm was given. Abraham Lincoln (father) settled near Hughes' Station on Floyd's Fork and began clearing land, planting corn, and building a cabin. One day in May 1786, Abraham Lincoln was working in his field with his three sons when he was shot from the nearby forest and fell to the ground. The eldest boy, Mordecai, ran to the cabin for the loaded gun, while the middle son, Josiah, ran to Hughes' Station for help. Thomas, the youngest, stood in shock by his father. From the cabin, Mordecai saw an American Indian come out of the forest and stop by his father's body. The Indian reached for Thomas. Mordecai took aim and shot the Indian in the chest, killing him and saving Thomas (future father of President Abe Lincoln) from the presumably ill-intentioned Indian. After having seen his father killed, Mordecai maintained a hatred and "avenging spirit" towards Indians. Soon after his mother moved the family to Washington County, Kentucky (near Springfield). After Mordecai's father died, Mordecai as the eldest son inherited his father's land and property, according to the system of primogeniture. Adult Life In 1792, Mordecai married Mary Mudd (1775-1859). In 1797 he sold his inherited property in Jefferson County, Kentucky and purchased 300 acres in Springfield, Kentucky for Terah Templin, Kentucky's first ordained Presbyterian minister. In 1811 they moved to Washington County, Kentucky, where all his six children were born. In 1828 they moved to Fountain Green, Illinois. He died during a massive three-day blizzard in December 1830 near Fountain Green. His horse returned without him, but his body was not recovered until the snow melted in the following April. Research Notes Born "on Linville Creek", Augusta County, VA, present day Rockingham County, Virginia. Both the year of his birth and the exact date of his death are subject to discussion. There are varying stories regarding his death during the 'Winter of the Big Snow', with the evidence pointing to a death in December of 1830. His sons buried him in section 29 of the area that would be named Fountain Green Township 20 years later. References * Mordecai Lincoln - Wikipedia